Boots please! DOH adds item on donations wish list

After recording more than 100 leptospirosis deaths, the Health Department has added boots to its wish list of donations for victims of cyclones “Ondoy" (Ketsana) and “Pepeng" (Parma). Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a radio interview Thursday that they hope to lessen the risk of flood victims getting the disease when they wade through floodwaters. “Isama ang bota sa donation, (pero) ‘di rin ito uubra kung ang tubig-baha ay hanggang dibdib (We hope boots will be included in donations, though they will be useless if the floods reach chest-level)," Duque said in an interview on dzXL radio. He said the number of leptospirosis cases was unprecedented, especially in the wake of floods caused by cyclones Ondoy and Pepeng. Seawater remedy Amid the call for boots, radio dzXL reported on Thursday that health officials are also considering the use of seawater to kill the bacteria that causes leptospirosis, especially in areas that remain flooded. National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag said the bacteria that causes the disease thrives mainly in freshwater, the report said, adding that the Health department is planning to ask the Bureau of Fire Protection to have fire trucks use seawater in cleaning flooded areas.

An article on The Leptospirosis Information Center has listed seawater as among agents can kill leptospires. It said that, "Pathogenic leptospires do not tolerate the salt levels in seawater but can slowly adapt to survive in solutions up to 1%." UK advisory Meanwhile, reports on the sudden rise in leptospirosis cases have prompted a travel advisory from the United Kingdom. In its advisory updated Wednesday night, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK-FCO) cautioned its nationals to be wary of wading in water contaminated by animal urine. "Local health authorities have advised the public not to wade in flood waters and to use protective boots in order to prevent leptospirosis, and other diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera and hepatitis," it said. The FCO said travelers should be aware that many leptospirosis cases in the Philippines. "There have been several recent cases in areas affected by flooding following Typhoon ‘Ondoy'," it said. “Some areas remain affected," it said, adding UK nationals can access the latest information on the National Disaster Coordinating Council’s Website. Citing data from the Philippine Department of Tourism, the UK-FCO said some 70,000 British tourists visit the Philippines every year. - GMANews.TV